TNAG-0124-FCO40-160-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1969 — Page 23

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Reference.. HKK 4/1

50

41 Flag A

Flag B

Flag C

Радже

that tha

Medras KM:

Hudson's

рибратил I overriding. I

amy

an uncerta

about the

value of the further studies

Mi.

Mr. Wilford

You have seen the Long Term Study on Hong Kong (K(69)1) which is awaiting submission to Ministers

the Hong Kong Ministerial Committee, with composition as at (1) on HKK 1/16). For a variety of reasons connected with the Secretary of State's and Lord Shepherd's movements a meeting of that

Committee has not been convened.

2.

At the end of July Mr. Hudson of the Cabinet

Office discussed with me the possibilities of dealing with this paper without a ministerial meeting and his proposals at (51) are the outcome. On reflection I felt doubts about their acceptability. There was no time to get instructions before the Secretary of

State went on holiday and I myself was about to go

on leave.

3.

Mr. Hudson's proposal is that Ministers should authorise the undertaking of certain studies proposed in the paper (paragraphs 49, 50 and 53 with Recommendations (5) and (6)), deferring meanwhile

consideration of the other recommendations.

4. The objections I see to this course are :-

(i) We have been under some pressure from the

Governor since June 1967 to secure a

ministerial view on the future of Hong Kong

to guide him in his administration of the

Colony. He will react unfavourably to

further, possibly lengthy, delay particularly when, as argued below, the grounds for deferring ministerial

consideration of the main recommendations

are not strong.

(ii) The main thesis of the paper is that we are

stuck with Hong Kong for so far ahead as we can foresee; we cannot divest ourselves of our responsibilities except in circumstances of ignominious (and to our interests very damaging) abandonment. The problems that will arise for us in maintaining our position there need to be faced; but whatever their complexity they cannot affect the broad policy decisions we now have to take. The proposed studies on the effects of the impending expiry of

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the lease

...